News & Notes

A 12-year-old boy who was driving a lawn mower died Saturday after a collision with a car near Livingston, the California Highway Patrol reported. The boy’s name has not been released. The crash was reported about noon on Westside Boulevard, west of Sultana Drive. The boy was driving a 2007 Ariens lawn mower, heading east on the south shoulder of Westside, according to Officer Moises Onsurez. Daniel Arroyo, 19, of Winton was driving a 1996 Ford Mustang, heading east about 75 mph on Westside, Onsurez said. According to CHP, the boy on the mower appears to have made a left turn onto the road from the shoulder. The right side of the Mustang struck the left side of the mower, the report said. The boy was taken to Emanuel Medical Center by ambulance. He was then flown to Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno, where he was pronounced dead at 4:42 p.m. Saturday. The driver of the Mustang and his passenger were unhurt. Alcohol was not a factor, Onsurez said; the crash remains under investigation.

JUNETEENTH EVENT RETURNS TO MODESTO

The 45th annual Juneteenth Community Celebration will happen Friday and Saturday at King-Kennedy Memorial Center and Mellis Park, 601 S. Martin Luther King Drive, Modesto. It commemorates the day in 1865 when slaves in Galveston, Texas, got the news they were free. The event will start with Friday’s showcase of talent from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday’s program will begin with the Celebration of Dads ceremony from 10:30 a.m. to noon, recognizing fathers of the year. The afternoon will include guest speakers, gospel singers, musical entertainment, cultural performances, educational exhibits, youth contests, a Black Business Expo, community resource booths and children’s activities. The center’s board of directors and the Modesto Parks, Recreation and Neighborhoods Department are co-sponsors. For more information, contact Bruce Lockard at (209) 341-2951 or blockard@modestogov.com.

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